Archives for: January 2001, 04

Dear Heidi, a nutritionist recommended I start the Blood Group diet. I'm an O type. I've recently been diagnosed as having an ulcer and also have the bacterial bug in my stomach too - my doctor gave me 3 types of antibiotics which made be really ill and I had to stop taking them after 2 days. After returning to my GP he said I should have finished the course even though I felt so ill. I've had a series of illnesses including Pelvic Inflammatory Infections , Cystitis and have also recently been diagnosed with Endomentriosis. I don't really want to take any more antibiotics as over the last 6 months I have almost been taking them non-stop for one thing or another. In the first book (the eat right diet) Dr D'Adamo talked about Bladderwrack and a Liquorice preparation - would this help in getting rid of any bug that may be left in my stomach without taking further antibiotics? From the Endoscopy I had done the consultant said my current ulcer was found to be healing. I'd really appreciate any help. thx Josie.

Josie, you're absolutely on the right track to use bladderwrack and DGL (that's the licorice supp) for the H. pylori and to heal your stomach. The probiotic, PolyFlora-O available here in the Store is an essential item for you.

There are four pages on cystitis in the BTD Complete Blood Type Encyclopedia, including protocols for the various blood types and related reading. I also suggest you order a saliva test from the Store here in order to determine your secretor status, as it sounds to me as if you are a nonnie.

If you have Interstitial Cystitis, I'd like to direct you to something I came across recently. It is one woman's story of how she got rid of it, and since IC is so ill understood in the medical community, and she did a long course of research before finding help, it may be of immediate interest to you. Here's the link.

I hope you commit to following your diet and exercise plan -- it's the greatest healer of all, and the best insurance policy for the future. Avoidance of wheat, dairy and coffee along with using those beneficial oils should remove the causes of the endometriosis and begin to resolve it. It will take some time, but this is the eminently sensible route to take, and you will be healthy again in far less time than it took to develop these conditions! Take care, Josie, and welcome to the BTD! :-D

Dear Heidi, thanks for answering Yelena's questions about following the protocols to fight stomach cancer. She had a surgery, and is recuperating now. Half of her stomach had to be removed along with the gallbladder and a small piece of the pancreas. She is on the chemotherapy. 1) Cancer Prevention protocol has Coriolis Versicolor Mushroom, which is toxic. Maybe she can use the Cancer Prevention, but without Coriolus for now? 2) Any suggestions on where to get all this stuff for protocols. Most health/organic/herbals stores do not have everything. I am having trouble finding Bupleurim Chinense in a pure form in capsules. It is always mixed with milk thistle, which is not good for her blood type (. Same with Rehmannia Root and White Atractylodes. Coriolis Mushroom is also a rarity. Thanks for your help, -Ilya

Hello, Ilya! I'm glad Yelena is past the worst now. If you cannot find those specific supplements in an acceptable form, the others will work just fine for her. First, she should be strictly on her diet -- second, use ARA6, a food-based vitamin C (like acerola cherry powder), the Harmonia drink from this Store, and the items which *are* available to you from the four different protocols (cancer prevention, chemotherapy adjunct, chronic illness recovery, and surgery recovery). No need to use every item in those protocols. Also, if I were she, I'd order several bottles of Heallix and take it according to the instructions on the bottle.

Please convey my heartfelt wishes for her swift recovery, Ilya! We are all thinking of her, and hoping she will be well in short order! :-D

Hi Heidi, I'm really enjoying reading your column daily, and looking back over past ones. Thanks also to the lady who wrote in about my not being ready for lamb yet. When I said that, what I was really meaning was that I haven't eaten meat since on my honeymoon 13 years ago - however, when I did eat meat, lamb was my favorite! You were a vegetarian at one time, right? What did you say to folks when you started eating meat again? I've been preaching vegetarianism for a long time, and telling our 4 year old that we don't eat dead animals (except fish). Not quite sure what to say to friends and family if I start eating meat again, especially since my husband (an A) probably shouldn't. Thanks! Ann

Hi, Ann! Well, you're in a pickle -- especially with the 4-year-old. ;-)

What did I tell people? I was in much your situation, having opened my mouth to all and sundry on the horrors of every aspect of meat-eating. When I leapt right into the BTD, there was a minor stir in my circle, to say the least. There's no escaping this, so facing up to it as volubly as I'd broadcast my former views was the only option. It pretty much came down to three different responses (depending on the interested party) to those wondering about my overnight transformation from fasting Ehretist to carnivore extraordinaire.

(1) The ones who really wanted an in-depth explanation got the full story of my acne & hair loss problems, visit to the acupuncturist, reactions to reading BTD, the basic concept of ABO relating to activity, digestion and disease, etc., and an excited initial report on how I felt. After a few weeks, the comparison between my old passport photo and the "new me" was enough to convince the smart folks that maybe I wasn't nuts after all. The tough ones to face were those who had pooh-pooh'ed my dietary gymnastics from the start. To them I'd say, "You're right, I was a doof. However, let's talk about beneficial polysaccharides...." ;-)

(2) To die-hard vegan buddies, I would say: "I worked it for fifteen years, but it didn't work for me. If in all that time I never managed to 'do it right,' then I'm just too stupid to be vegan."

Not sure #'s 2 and 3 will help you, but some brief version of #1 might. For the little one, "Mommy found out she needs these kinds of foods because of her blood type" should suffice. That can segue into what Daddy needs, and what kiddie needs. "We are natural creatures, made (like all animals) to eat certain things, and sometimes we make mistakes about food because of what we believe, rather than what we really physically need. We all learn new things every day, even Mommy, and this is a new thing that is very good and very important."

Yes, you'll have to eat a little crow over your new choices, it's probably unavoidable. But think how good that lamb will taste afterward! ;-D Things will work out beautifully, I'm sure. It'll just take some time, and an acquiescence to a few feathers in your teeth until everyone's settled down with the New You. One does experience a little loss of credibility in situations like this, but the long-term prospects are very, very bright. Keep in touch, dear, and let us know how it all unfolds. ;-D

Hi Heidi! I just read in today's 5/10 OTD response to Angie, an O, your suggestion to add a 1/2 tsp. of grey sea salt per gallon of water. It's the first time I've seen you suggest grey sea salt, (versus white?) - I've always read your suggestion just to add a pinch of sea salt to water. Is grey always prefered, or was that for her specifically? What about iodide versus non? What is your recommendation for me, a type B+ secretor, in terms of the best salt to add for maximum absorption, and the time-lapse around meals? I have been trying to wait an hour and a half after eating, and I'm having trouble drinking enough in a day, if I wait that long, before I know I need to stop cause I'm hungry and going to have something again soon. Is it necessary to wait even before and after ingesting tea, coffee, or juice? Thanks for your help! Love, Lizza

Hi, Lizza! Gray sea salt is always preferred for everything, as it is the kind that has all those wonderful trace minerals in it. It's not an "iodized" salt per se, but contains a natural balance of trace elements. You can have your water before, during and after your coffee or tea or juice, no need to wait. Remember that 1/2 your body weight in ounces is plenty for you, and you can divide it into, say, four quantities so that you have a single large glass to "glug down" if you like, upon rising, between three meals, and a couple of hours after dinner. I hope this helps, Lizza, and thanks for your note, dear! :-D

Thanks for answering my previous questions. I am a Type A, Secretor and adhere to a diet that contains 90.5% beneficials, 9.5% neutrals, and 0.0% avoids. That diet has been quite successful as my BMI has dropped from 35.0 to its current value of 22.7 in a little over one year and my health has been excellent. My questions are on taking Deflect. It is my understanding that a major effect of Deflect is to provide sacrificial sugars to bind and remove dietary lectins. However, my diet with 90.5% beneficials, contains many lectins which are good for Type A's and very few that are bad. Would continuing to take Deflect in this case be counterproductive? I currently take a maintenance dose of one capsule per day, before I go to bed, with the rationale that it will scavenge any stray lectins and/or be of benefit in other ways. I am apprehensive about taking it with regular meals, though, because they contain mostly good lectins. Is Deflect able to distinguish between good and bad lectins? Al

Hello, Al ~~ The sacrificial sugars are lectin-specific, so no need to worry that they would grab the peanut or soy lectins, for example. However, your regimen has worked so well for you that I would leave it just as is -- no need to take the Deflect with meals. It will continue to do good things for you. ;-)

I'm SO happy to hear your great BMI report, and that you're enjoying excellent health. Great to hear from you, and please feel free to write again, Al! :-D

Hi Heidi, Quick question about your flax seed recipe. Is it alright to follow your recipe to drink with water after soaking if I have not ground up the flaxseeds and just chew as I go? I don't have any intestinal/digestive issues just want to keep some old toxins moving right along. Also I add golden flax seeds to many of dishes both hot and cold. Is there a difference between the golden and the darker? (A2 nonny) Also just got flax bran and am going to use it for my O nonny sister where I would normally use oat bran. Will let you know. Have you had any experience with it? Thank you!! Nina

Hi, Nina ~ The benefit of grinding *then* soaking is the gel which forms from the flax innards. It's certainly fine to do what you're doing.

Gold flax apparently works better for some people who are sensitive to brown flax seeds. I'm not sure what the active elements are which differ between the two types, but results are what count. It is more expensive, so if that is a concern and no adverse reactions to brown flax are noticed, I'd stick with the brown kind. The hulls or bran of flax are fine for all blood types! ;-) thanks for writing, Nina, and I'm glad you're enjoying your "nonnie email project." :-D

Hi Heidi Everyone appears to loose weight on their correct diet plan but I have the opposite problen.Two years ago I dropped 26lbs because of illness and I would like to regain it.Is it possible the B plan would help me back to my normal weight. Looking forward to hearing from you. Brid

[she's in dublin]

Hallo, Brid! Yes, absolutely. These plans have three parts: diet, exercise and stress-relief. Following them in all respects will bring weight gain or weight loss, depending upon the body's needs. The whole idea is "balancing the physiology." This brings healing of illness, as well.

I hope you decide to embark upon the B plan, and I extend a very warm welcome to you, dear! Write in whenever the mood strikes, and best wishes to you! :-D

Hello again Heidi, All's well with the A type diet for this Aussie, and having lots of interesting conversations with people about their own food, and finding in particular that the blood group relates closely to their preferred activity level (ie guess which blood group my friends are who like getting hot and sweaty!).Today's question on your page about blood groups and fashionable diet plans resonates with me, as I have also seen that connection since first reading ERFYT. What would be interesting to study would be the connection between cultural food plans and predominant blood types, also longevity and blood group food adherence. Anyway,today I want to mention your references to water.I couldn't find it by researching on your page.I've just read the book called I think, "Your body's many cries for water" and although the author does not seem to value food highly (we can't all be perfect!) he does argue well for copious amounts of water in the diet.I used to think that thirst was the signal for drinking, but now discover that it is one of the later signs of dehydration! Anyway, I tried to drink one and a half litres per day, but find that a struggle, so compromise with one litre per day, but also of course using a lot of extra water in soups, hot and cold flavoured drinks. I think I saw you mention four litres one day, and wondered if you meant that to include all sources of water including coffee, cooking etc.I think I would explode if I drank 4 litres of pure water. Cheerio, have a happy day. Jenny

Hey there, Jenny! Nice to hear from you! and good ideas on research projects. ;-)

I use four liters as a quantity that will "do the job" for just about anyone, but strictly speaking, it should be the amount in ounces which is one-half your bodyweight in pounds. 128 pounds? 64 ounces (approx. two liters) of water, each with a pinch of good (gray) sea salt. 256 pounds? 128 ounces (one gallon, approx. four liters). Just adjust accordingly. I sometimes drink more than a gallon in a day, for hard exercise in hot weather, for example. So do feel free to adjust the quantities, but try to take in the minimum (1 ounce salted water for every 2 pounds of bodyweight) daily -- water alone, mind you! tea & juice & soups don't count. ;-) thanks for your note, my dear! ;-D

Heidi, I'm concerned about my very low ferritin level. I'm type A2, secretor (don't know more than that). My ferritin level was just checked and it's a 12....very low. I take sublingual B12, 5 mg every day....but I was wondering if I could be in need of something like grass fed beef or some other food that will raise the level to at least normal. I've been off beef for 25 years and I'm wondering if this is the reason. Allergic to eggs and cheese so I have no clue how any foods from type A diet could raise my ferritin level. My iron level was 135, so I don't think it's as abnormally low as the ferritin and I think this is the first time I have had ferritin levels checked. I'm age 60. Any clues here about what to eat to raise this level? Maddy

Hello, Maddy! About the iron, my understanding is that the normal adult range is 30 - 170 mcg/dl -- but the numbers do vary from country to country (and lab to lab for that matter). what does your lab report say about the ranges?

I'd certainly not add red meat for you, but there are other strategies which would be far more effective.

For low ferritin (less than 43 µg/L for women) with hemoglobin in the low to high ranges, usually, an iron malate or iron citrate supplement would be recommended. I'd suggest including a variety of iron-rich foods, taken with vitamin C (which enhances absorption). Think of food combinations, as well: fish added to a meal of black beans doubles the absorption of the iron in the beans. Add fish to meals of legumes, dark leafy greens (cooked) and grains, and have a couple of tablespoons of blackstrap molasses daily. Have your ferritin levels checked again in six months. If the improvement is insufficient, then I'd definitely begin an iron supplement under the supervision of a knowledgeable nutrition counselor. Good health to you, Maddy, and please keep me posted on your situation, OK? :-D

Hi Heidi, Please help! A friend and I are considering purchasing a distilled water system for our homes. Before spending thousands of dollars could you tell us if this system is more beneficial than others. Both of homes have reverse osmosis systems. The water in our reverse osmosis systems has been tested and still show some degree of bacteria whereas, the distilled system does not. We know the distilled system however, extracts all minerals which can be beneficial. Could you please give us your thoughts as to which system you recommend. Thank you, thank you, thank you for all your knowledge and for your wonderful column. Anne

Hi, Anne! Please bear in mind that I'm not very knowledgable about water systems. I live in a NYC apartment and wouldn't drink the tap water in a fit -- not because of the water itself (which is excellent), but because of the ancient distribution system through which it travels many miles before it reaches me, including the 80-year-old pipes in my own building. No good. So I use spring water for drinking & filtered water for cooking. If only I could get a shower filter that would fit on the antiquated bathroom fixture, I could even stop bathing in chemicals. :-(

In your situation, I'd simply not use the distilled water for drinking. For everything else (except watering plants or animals) it would be perfectly fine. You can purchase liquid minerals to drop into your drinking water, but that procedure may turn into a bit of a bore. If the cost of regular delivery of good spring water, added to the cost of the distilled system, would be prohibitive, I'd look closely into the source of the contamination and see what pressure might be brought to bear at the source of the bacteria before spending good money on bad water. Are you in farm country, or is there some other source of the baddies?

Anyway, I can't offer a solution, but that's how I'd approach the problem. Good luck, dear, and please let me know what transpires there! It's a shame we can't even get clean water without major expenditure these days, eh?? :-D

HI, I have adenomyosis and I would like to know what I can, to get rid of it, the physicians have told me my only alternative is a hysterectomy. Sincerely, Angelien

Hi, Angelien ~~ The physicians have told you wrong. Could you write back with your blood type (I'm not sure if you're the same Angelien who wrote previously?), age, any trauma to the uterus, and what your normal diet & exercise regimen is? thanks, dear! Surgery is a WAY last resort -- I'm sure we can put our heads together on this and come up with a cure for you. Take care, and write soon! :-D